I tried K38 for the first time while in the area. We went with another couple who suggested the place. It was a busy Friday night, but early, so we were seated promptly. Our server greeted us and took drink orders. Shortly after, chips and salsa arrived. Salsa was good, a little spicy. For entrees we tried the big salad, not sure the name, but it was quite large, shrimp tacos, fish tacos, and the cheesesteak crisp. Everything was delicious. Food came out nice and hot, and the tacos were stuffed! I tried the fresh squeezed lemonade, that tasted more like lime. It wasn't my favorite, but it was not sweet either, which was good. I think my only complaint/observation would be the prices. Just slightly more than I was expecting but not outrageous. The restaurant had a nice, casual vibe. Coastal California with a Mexican twist. We enjoyed our visit. This place would make a great lunch spot too. No photos tonight as we were with friends and did not grab any. I would definitely come again to try more on the menu. Next time, I'll be sure to add pics! read more

Nothing good about this location ,we won't be going back , they had one girl running around trying to take care of everything and when I asked the manager Danielle if I could pay her so we could leave , she sternly told me I am not your server Wow what a horrible attitude for someone managing a service run business! read more

We go here once a week since we live right next to it, we've never been disappointed! Food and service are always great, food is always INCREDIBLE, and the one time we waited a little too long for a waitress they gave us a coupon and free queso. Food is just as good when you get it to-go too, which usually isn't the case for other places. We'll keep coming! read more

The staff here is so friendly and kind! My friend got the egg rolls and I got the blackened shrimp burrito, both were surprisingly tasty, would definitely come back :) Also the palomita cocktail is amazing. read more

We had delicious tacos at K38. Ashley, our server, took excellent care of us. The shrimp and sear ahi tuna were delicious and you really just need one. We'll be back! read more

Really bad experience here today. I got the vegeta-bowl and was very disappointed in the attempt. It was essentially just taco toppings dumped into a large flour tortilla bowl: shredded lettuce, pickled onions, a few corn kernels (yes, just a few), a smattering of tiny cubed tomato bits, and 3 very small slivers of avocado. I ate about half and paid. That pitiful bowl was $14, y'all. When I returned home, I looked at the menu again and it said "roma tomatoes and black beans." WHERE?! There wasn't a single bean and the tomatoes almost nonexistent. The salsa was as good as always but the chips were way too salty. I now wish I had spoken up about it while I was there but I just won't go back. Much better quality for the money elsewhere. read more

I've been here a couple times and each time I really enjoy my experience. We came on a Saturday evening and were able to get seated immediately. Our server was kind and attentive. The food was DELICIOUS. I had the Santa Fe shrimp tacos and wow. The shrimp was super fresh and the veggies in it were fresh as well. The overall flavor was very robust and I love the green sauce that comes with it. Salsa, guac, queso were all very good and the margarita was really big for the price. It's a great quick casual place for quality food. Would be back! read more

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... I went there around 12. Not the most cleanest of places. My body didn't not like that after math. And I didn't even eat any meat.

My husband and I always pick this as our date spot! He picks the steak fajitas or chicken quesadilla and I order the roadside chicken tacos with a mojito or wannabe. Depending on my mood. The food (and drinks!) never disappoint. Queso is a must. We jokingly fight over the jalapeños at the bottom. read more

Food is fine. Service was great. They've done a nice job inside and the bar area is a larger than other locations and the area is wide. The lobby area is ridiculously small and there's not a ton of space outside to wait either. Our biggest issue, though, is charging $40 for a pitcher of skinny margaritas and we only got 3 small glasses out of it! It was literally a pitcher of ice!! The glasses came with 2 ice cubes each and not enough salt on the rims. We're pretty sure they skimped on the actual tequila too. Disappointing. read more

I love this location and all the staff here. Food is consistently excellent. Wanted to give a shout out to Emma D. who is so thoughtful to always remember our exact order every time! Thanks so much! read more

A staple when I am in the area with my local dealer. Tiki bar beach club Mexican type place. Bright and lots of colors and tvs. Service has always been good. I stay with my normal shrimp tacos and black beans which were great as usual. Fun vibe and fun staff with good food. It was a working lunch so nothing fun to drink. read more

Went for lunch and was not very busy. Excellent service, VERY fresh food for Tex-Mex - black beans and rice were authentic. Baja fish taco was great and the portions were large. Will definitely be back! *sorry no pics read more

This new location is in the Harris Teeter plaza. It's cute inside, modern casual looking. Ordered to-go small Barbacoa enchiladas with refried pinto beans and SoCal carne burrito. The food was lackluster, overpriced, and lukewarm (I taste tested right after getting the food). No utensils were provided. The burrito and refried pinto beans tasted better than the enchiladas, but the burrito was pitifully small for $17. The enchilada sauce was way too sweet, but at least the chicken meat was tender. Rice was lacking in flavor. read more

By far my favorite k38 location! Best atmosphere and the best service! So so kind and so attentive! Couldn't recommend it enough!

I've been here a few times and it was decent but this time it was very bad. Whatever you do, don't get the birria tacos. This is the consomé they served me. Pretty sure it was marinara sauce lol terrible read more

K38 Baja Grill Independence - "Consomé" - you be the judge - Mexican Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Fresh baja style mexican is the best I have had in ages. Everything is so fresh, not over spiced, and delicious. Try the fajita quesadilla and order a second salsa with the chips. I've eaten this style food from California to Illinois to Tennessee, and this is the best. Great service and clean, fresh look. read more

I just wanted to share how kind the folks are at K38 on Oleander. A special thanks to Bennie Clemons and Walt Huff for going out of their way to make up a special batch of picante sauce for my brother. What an exceptional experience. I am truly touched. read more

wasn't it for me didn't even eat all the food. I had the birria tacos and the steak had no flavor and it wasn't even shredded beef

In Carolina Beach.N.C..Great food,service,and atmosphere.Quick wait,food,and relaxing atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

Stopped coming along time ago after the places quality went downhill, but I came in today with my girlfriend on a whim and it was absolutely amazing the Birria tacos are fire. So was the street corn. Even better than I remember it as a kid. Definitely coming back all the time now. read more

This was my first trip to this K38 Baja Grill. I ordered the Triple B Quesadilla lunch item (Blackened Chicken Breast, Bacon, Green Onion, Roma Tomato, Mixed Cheese & Baja BBQ Sauce). The quesadilla was excellent but it was a pretty small portion for the price. I had to eat a lot of tortilla chips to get filled up. The quesadilla had a nice fresh taste but I wasn't a fan of the BBQ sauce that came with it. I usually love BBQ sauce but this had a strong, heavy taste that didn't seem to fit with the light, fresh quesadilla. Luckily the sauce was served on the side so I didn't have to use it. This restaurant is very noisy, even when it's less than half full of people. The ceiling looks like it might be bare metal (?) so all sound is magnified. Very annoying. This is not the place to go if you want to have a conversation with your dining partner. The lunch and dinner entrees run from $9 - $24 as of Oct 2024. If all the menu items are small portions like my lunch entrée was, then keep in mind you may need to order an appetizer or an extra side dish so that you will feel satisfied when you leave. My quesadilla was very good and I have a feeling the other entrees are probably good as well. But the loud atmosphere and small portions might make me think twice before I decide whether to visit again. read more

the Carolina beach location was great! I had Reilly and Olivia as my servers and they made my experience amazing! they were sweet and very patient:) the food and margaritas were great!! I highly recommend going and sitting in Reilly or Olivia's section read more

Came in for lunch on a Saturday. Was promptly greeted and seated. The table we sat at was a little weird. . . I'm not a fan of the booth seats that hold two tables. The other table was really close to ours. . . Our server was friendly and efficient. We had tacos, onion petals, and the black and blue roll. They serve free chips and salsa why you wait for your food. Glad to have this option close to our house. read more

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came in for some lunch today and my server Madelyn was amazing! she had good recommendations on food and drinks. overall a great experience!! read more

A wide selection on the menu, including gluten free options. Wife had the gluten free Poor Surfer + carne asada and I had a beef and pulled chicken taco. Only the beef taco was not my favorite taste (maybe seasoned too much) but everything else was delicious. Our server Malorie S. was exceptional and friendly. Will definitely be returning. read more

Great place for lunch, drinks, happy hour and dinner. Inside has a great vibe. Plus they have outdoor seating and the bar has seats as well. I have the chicken wrap and my wife had the chicken taco salad. So fresh and flavorful. The server recommended their sauce I cannot remember the name, but please ask for it!! I will be returning!! read more

The taco bowl was horrible. The lettuce was choppy and soggy, the avocado look and tasted as if it was going bad. Worst part was the choppy meat. The meat tasted funny like it was going bad. The entire meal was not fresh. Huge waste of money to pay for. Department of Health needs to go is what is going on in the kitchen. read more

Good food and good service. We prefer the one in the Porters Neck area, as it's the largest and nicest looking one, and is also closest to our home. read more

This is our second visit to this location and we're gonna give it some time to work out the kinks before we revisit. With a strong leader/manager and some great hospitality training for the staff this location could be just as great as the others. We walked in at 11:38 and were told to sit anywhere. We decided to sit outside--because although it was windy, it was also sunny and warm. The girl that brought us our menus was sweet and said a server would be right with us. No one was right with us. About 10 minutes later a gentleman walked outside and started opening the umbrellas. After he opened the umbrellas, he walked inside..a few minutes after THAT one of the umbrellas blew over so we got up to let someone know (no one had yet to speak to us) and just as we did the umbrella blew farther and flipped onto the table we were sitting at. Went inside and the same guy that opened the umbrellas was at the host stand and when we told him the patio was wrecked by these umbrellas so we were just gonna move inside he just told us to sit anywhere. So we sit anywhere. It's 12:05 and no one has greeted us at a table. Finally our server arrives and hilariously it's the same guy that opened the umbrellas on the patio 15 minutes prior. He's very nice, and offers to take our drink order, but since we've all but memorized the menu at this point we go ahead and order our lunch too. The food was delivered quickly--the fried fish was good, the corn is fire and the steak tacos were delicious. Other than the shell my fish bowl came in being stale, the food was great. There seemed to be a manager or a hostess (long blond hair, black leggings, Doc Martens, green top) but she was wandering around back and forth between the kitchen and the host stand........I saw her seat a table, but she didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on. While the people that spoke to us were all nice, the convenience of this location to where we live now doesn't outweigh the lackadaisical attitude of the majority of the staff (the guy that brought our food seemed to have experience and walked with a sense of purpose and was very communicative and professional) so we'll make the drive to Oleander and we'll try again in a year or so. read more

I really wanted to love this location, I know it was their opening night but they have work to do. I went with my wife and another couple, we were seated at a table in the bar area and the music was so loud we had to yell to be heard. The margaritas were pretty good but $16 each is a bit steep. My wife got a Baja fish taco, she said it was ok but her street corn was terrible. I got a pulled chicken burrito, it wasn't even folded correctly and it was filled with dry, unseasoned chicken- not at all what I was expecting. Also, we found it weird that they don't offer dessert at this time. The manager and our server were very nice and I'm hoping that the place improves. I think I'll give it some time to work out the kinks and then give it another try. read more

we sat outside. The food was excellent. I had a vegetable burrito and chicken wet with extra cheese. The burrito was over floating with vegetables and chicken. My husband got the tower seven burrito. He was envious of mine because of all of theextra cheese on to. K38 is a weekly restaurant staple in our routine. Service was as we've known to expect- steady with a positive customer service theme read more

This food made me gag and NOT in a good way. I could tell from the photos that the food wasn't good but I still decided to give it a chance. Maybe try actually hiring someone of latino descent? Perhaps that would help! kys. read more

Here at K38 the food is always good a hot. I have been here a few times before and have had good experiences all around. The servers are always nice and carding. Ours today was so apologetic for leavening us for more than 5 minutes. The vibe is very chill and modern, definitely would recommend to anyone who likes food. They always have a variety. (The margarita was for my parents, I am not of age for anyone who would like to know) read more

K38 Baja Grill Independence - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I online ordered $80 worth of take out last night for my family. There was a pick-up time on the receipt, but I called after a bit to see if they were running on time. The lady on the phone seemed annoyed and referred me to look at the time on the receipt. I explained that I was just checking to see if it was accurate. She puts me on hold, goes to check, and as it turns out, it was already ready (20 minutes earlier than the receipts pickup time). When I got there, I waited by the hostess station for a few minutes. No one was there. A few servers walked by and looked at me but didn't say anything to me. After a bit, a lady with blond hair comes up with a sour face. I told her I was there for the order, and she mumbled something and pointed to a shelf of togo orders next to us. I walk over and look at them, and I ask, do I just take it? She nodded yes. Once I got the food home, it was not good. The blackened mahi was very overcooked and dry. The corn tortilla disintegrated when we picked our tacos up. The corn was soggy. I did like the chips and salsa, though. Overall, I do not recommend ordering takeout from this restaurant. read more

Generally would never write a review like this but my experience here last Friday (February 21) was absolutely horrendous. I was starving and decided to go to k38. I sat at the bar and was already somewhat uncomfy going out to dinner by myself on a Friday. The bartender (long brown curly hair) was so incredibly rude to me the moment I sat down. She wouldn't even acknowledge me at first to the point I had to grab her attention and she snapped at me and said "I'll be with you as soon as I'm able." Mind you all I was trying to ask was if I could get a drink & dinner menu. I ordered a margarita and asked her if I could order food as well. Her response was "what do you want?" I ordered food then asked her if I could get chips and salsa (it's my fav!!) and she said "I'll bring it to you when I'm able." I'm sorry, what!?? I sat there, minding my business, then another employee walked up and handed me my food in a to-go bag? I had a full margarita I still had to finish and never once told her the food was to go. She very rudely said something under her breath to the girl who brought my food out to me. I ate my food as fast as I could, didn't bother finishing my drink, got the check and left. As someone who is from here, K38 has always been one of my favorite restaurants. I left there never wanting to go back. She made me feel so unwelcome and so uncomfortable. Regardless if she was having a bad night, when you're working for tips it's probably in your best interest to be nice to the people who are tipping you. I mentioned this story to friends after leaving, two of which said "I know exactly who you're talking about" which leads me to believe this is a common occurrence for her. Get another job where you don't have to interact with the public if you're that miserable. UPDATE - bartenders name is Ayla & she has major mean girl energy. read more

It's a shame to see what this restaurant has become. The location on Independence being the worst. While tonight the food was good, which is not the norm, the service was sub-par and the manager was condescending and rude. Be aware there is a $4.50 up charge to a skinny margarita. So my cantanarita that was already $15.00 was to be $19.50. I was not made aware of this significant up charge. The kicker is they were out of 1800 and had to substitute with a cheaper tequila. When I went to pay the bill and mentioned to the manager that this charge seemed absurd, he blamed it on recent cost increases across the board. So you are telling me that squeezing me maybe the juice of an extra lime justifies a $4.50 up charge. He did not want to rectify the matter. When I stood my ground that paying an extra $9.00 for my 2 margaritas making them a total of $39.00 when they didn't even have the right tequila was unacceptable and that I wasn't backing down, did he finally deduct the up charge. It made the entire night uncomfortable and proved even further how much this corporate change has negatively effected this what once was an iconic, awesome local restaurant. It's pretty clear why they are losing so much of their long time staff members. read more

This place just opened up but still maintains the K38 standard for food! Love to go here with my family!

It was our first visit to the new K38 by Harris Teeter, but it won't be our last. Our server, James, was a joy as he was attentive but not pushy. He knew the menu well, so he was able to guide us to some delicious choices we would not have otherwise found. I got the Tacos in Beach Towel and my honeybunch got the Gringo Tacos. All were tasty, arrived quickly, and our order was correct though we asked for a few modifications. Well done! read more

I have now been here 5 times, try something new EACH time and never disappointed! It's become my new favorite place, love the fresh dishes and the infusion between dishes. The Mexican food turned into sushi like rolls are awesome. The portions are perfect and love the daily specials. Everyone I have brought here love it as well! On warmer days the garage style doors are opened at the bar which is a nice place to sit without sitting outside. read more